THE ART OF SAYING NO

Like many artists I have trouble saying “No” and also like many artists this results in going against the intuitive as well as the empirically gathered knowledge that drives the creative process. When an artist is working against their own natural talents and gained skill set the outcome is not always top tier in regards to composition, design, and the presentation of a coherent body of work.

The first few years as a tattooer young in my career with an insatiable hunger and eagerness to learn I would take on just about any request that walked through the door. This certainly had its benefits as I was pulling from various styles and widening the spectrum of my skill set and technique as well as broadening my horizons and perspectives of tattoo methods and applications. The downside to this is that I was not strengthening my natural abilities and stylistic endeavors. I was not honing in and focusing on the body of work I wanted to show the world. I had made progress in many areas but had mastered none.

As time passed I was certainly able to take on less requests that did not appeal to my strengths, or at least guide my clients towards a design more suited to my abilities. Though at the end of the day I was rarely able to just say “No” and only offer my services in the best ways possible. This sometimes made projects feel more like a job and less like a passion, but more so I felt that I was not always able to execute a tattoo with the best results at the expense of the client.

Now that I feel far more established and knowledgeable as to what precisely my stylistic trajectory is to become and the body of work I would like to focus on I have decided that it is time to develop better boundaries regarding the projects I am willing to take on. As 2020 approaches I am going to be more firm in what I will and will not accept for tattoo requests. I believe this will only allow me to master my strengths and offer the best tattoos I am capable of creating.

With that said, there are a few things clients should come to expect when requesting a tattoo from me from this point forward. There must be an understanding that I will be working in my specific style and any ideas that are presented to me will be designed with my own artistic take on them. I refer to this style as illustrative realism, though I refuse to completely box myself in and may choose to incorporate other influences such as dot work, geometric patterns or photo realism. I love bold black and grey, the use of varying line weights and when utilizing color I generally use a muted palette with a heavy presence of black for backgrounds and shading techniques. I will need to take certain liberties regarding size and placement, composition, contrast, detail, color choices and final design.

I will choose reference photos that I believe to be the best for the project and will not reference other tattoos or imitate other artistic styles. Your design will not be completed until the day of your appointment and you will not be shown any part of the drawing process until that day. Depending on the concept and placement I may not even have a design pre-drawn and will need to draw straight onto the skin before your procedure begins.

While a client may want a tattoo from me simply because they just think I'm good, it does not necessarily mean I am stylistically the best fit for the job. If this is the case I will let you know and will do my best to recommend an artist that may be a better fit for you. I will prioritize clients with ideas and themes that appeal to me, who I connect with the best, and who will surrender artistic control to me. If you insist that I work outside of these parameters we will not be working together.

I take pride in my work and if for any reason I am uncomfortable with your idea or do not think I can execute it to the best of my abilities your request will not be considered. Please keep all of this in mind before requesting an appointment with me so that our time may be spent efficiently.

I want to thank you in advance for your understanding, support and trust. I look forward to collaborating with you to create unique and inspiring designs intended to complement and accentuate the natural ebb and flow of the body and I believe this process will be of the utmost benefit to myself and more importantly my clientele.